Penn-alties

Being a “legacy” does not mean being a saint

The NCAA acted this morning upon the pedophile scandal that has rocked Penn State, doing what it can to send a clear message to that school and all others. The message is simple: the walls that surround a sports stadium do not protect it from outside scrutiny. Good for Mark Emmert for taking these steps and for leaving open the door for further sanctions if warranted.

No statues needed except for the victims

A $60 million fine and a four-year ban on college bowl games sets the new low marker for penalties imposed upon schools that turn a blind eye towards sexual abuse. That is what Joe Paterno and the football program at Penn State did.It’s time to wipe away the veil of sanctimonious praise for sports programs and athletes that too often helps us all “forgive some of their troublesome indiscretions and bad decisions”.

Let us all be clear about this: shooting your mouth off at a news conference is an indiscretion; hell, shooting your own leg is an indiscretion. Child sex abuse is not an indiscretion, and if you think it is then pony up and send your kids to the nearest rape program with a smile on your face.